On his fifth studio album, 2021's hooky
Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, British singer/songwriter
Jake Bugg embraces a robust, mainstream pop/rock vibe that still retains some of his vintage inspirations. Produced by
Steve Mac (
Ed Sheeran,
Paloma Faith,
5 Seconds of Summer),
Saturday Night, Sunday Morning is a more dynamic album than
Hearts That Strain. It's a sound that makes some sense for
Bugg, whose early work conjured a precocious blend of '60s folk icon
Donovan with the amped-up swagger of
Oasis.
Saturday Night, Sunday Morning is perhaps his best balance of those two touchstones. The rambling, acoustic fingerpicking of "Hold Tight" is the closest moment to
Hearts That Strain, and one that also evokes the low-key acoustic blues and folk of his first few albums. There are several other vintage-inspired moments, including the '70s
Bee Gees-esque balladry of "Scene" and the
Roy Orbison-sounding "Maybe It's Today." Tracks like "About Last Night" and "Rabbit Hole" are also catchy as
Mac frames
Bugg's sweet croon with garagey,
Arctic Monkeys-style electric guitar riffs. These are fine songs and
Bugg's reedy alto is showcased to nice effect throughout. Undoubtedly,
Saturday Night, Sunday Morning is the culmination of
Bugg's rise to mainstream success. ~ Matt Collar
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